Lock for screens and the like.



H T. NOWOINY. LOCK FOR SCREENS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1 I916.

Patented J une 26, 1917.

fivepfor mos.

HARRIE THOMPSON NOWOTNY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

LOOK FOR SCREENS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 1917.

Application filed November 1, 1916. Serial No. 128,969.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, HARRIE THOMPSON NOWOTNY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks for Screens and the like, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in locking and latching devices and more par ticularly to devices of this character which are adapted to be fitted upon screen and other doors.

At the present time there are a number of latching or spring holding devices on the market for the purpose of securing a screen door or the like against accidental opening and at thesame time permitting it to be,

easily pushed open when desired, the latching being accomplished by spring tension only.

Likewise various positive looking devices are on sale and in common use for fastening a door in a secure manner and preventing the opening of the same. To release doors secured by a lock of this class, it is necessary to first release or unlock the lock and then push or pull the door open.

The objects of my invention are to produce a combined locking and latching de vice which may be utilized when in one position to merely latch the door and when in another position to positively lock the door closed, to so form the device that it may be easily and quickly fitted on and attached to a door and its casing, or removed therefrom, and to provide a construction of simple and inexpensive character possessing reliability, durability and efiiciency and capable of being expeditiously and conveniently adjusted by any one from one position to another.

To this end, my improved device consists of two flanged parts, one of which is adapted to be attached in stationary position to a door frame and constitutes or forms, an enclosing casing, and the other of which is rotatably mounted on the first mentioned part, a projecting latch attached to the door, and mechanism arranged within the flanged parts and adapted tocooperate v... 31 the latch to merely either hold the door or to positively fasten or lock the door in closed position as desired.

I accomplish the above and other objectsof my inventions by certain means and mechanism as hereinafter set forth in the following description and as particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being bad to the accompanying'drawings in which an embodiment or adaptation of my'improved device is illustrated.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view of my improvement with the latch inserted in place in the casing and the top cap omitted to disclose the interior construction, but approximately shown in dotted outline to indicate its position.

Fig. 2 is a detached detailed perspective view of the latch.

Fig. 3 is a detached detailed perspective View of top cap.

Fig. 4 is a detached perspective one of the gripping or holding arms.

Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of one of the springs for tensioning the gripping or holding arms.

Fig. 6 represents the perspective view of the assembled device showing the gripping arms within the casing in readiness to receive the latch, and the latch being omitted.

Fig. 7 is a section through the latch on line 2-2 Fig. 1' and illustrating a fragment of the casing, top cap, and the interior mechanisin.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 7 with the latch moved to its locking position.

In referring to the embodiment and adaptation of my invention shown in the accompanying drawings in detail like numerals designate corresponding parts.

My improved device as illustrated comprises two separate parts or members, one of which forms a latch or projection which is fastened to and extends from the door and the other of which constitutes a lock or latch casing that is attached to the door frame and is adapted to receive the latch or projection when the door is closed, being provided with an opening through which the latch is inserted and interior mechanism for retaining said latch therein with a spring tension.

The casing is composed of a lower member having a circular base, 1, and an annular upstanding surrounding flange, 2, and an I upper member or cap having a circular top,

3, slightly larger in circumference than the view ofsee Fig. 1. The top cap is mounted I the lower member so as to turn or partially base, 1, and an annular depending surrounding flange, 4, which telescopes on and fits loosely around the flange, 2, of the lower memberwhen the two members are assembled together in operating position, as shown in Fig. 6.

The flange, 2, I preferably provide with a flattened portion, 5, and form a central vertical slot, 6, therein and diametricallyopposite another slot. I cut or otherwise form another and wider slot on opening, 7

revolve thereon' and is fastened in place by a center screw, 8, or the like. The lower member. is likewise fastened in stationary posltion to the door frame by screws or other suitable fastenings, 9, as shown in I Fig. 1.

" shown in Fig. 1, and

. of the arm.

I cut or otherwise form a slot or opening,

1O, in the flange, at, which registers with the 'opening, 7, when the device is in its latchin position and provide two -.oppositely exten ing horizontal recesses, 11, located one-on each side ofthe opening, 10, for a purpose to be hereinafter explained.

The latching andlocking mechanism is of ,extremely simple construction, having two complementary gripping and latching arms "which are similar in construction and form and are interchangeable.

. These arms are fitted in place in the interi r of the casing in opposed position as each has one end thereof fitted through the slot, 6. Each of these arms I prefer to make substantially as'shown in Figs. 1 and3 with a bent inner terminal, 12, which extends laterally at a' right angle from the inner end of the body The intermediate portion of the body is bent to approximately a V form as shown at 14 in Fig. 1, and the outer extremity, 15, is bent to extend obliquely outward and at upon j beneath a hook lug,'16,- which is formed integral with and projects laterally out from each of the gripping arms.

A centering lug, 17, which is preferably made integral with the base, 1, extends therefrom into an interposed position between the arms as shown in Fig. 1, and

serves to maintain said arms in a centered posit-ion. v The latch I also prefer to make in one integral piece of metal and as .shown it consists of'two lateral end portions, '18, which stand oppositely to each other in approxi-' mately the same plane and are fastened to a door, 19, by screws, 20,01 the like, a projecting shank, 21, having a notched edge, 22, and an enlarged four sided substantially square head, 23, at the other extremity of nearly a right angle to the outer half porlatch or projection as shown in Fig. 1.

To normally retain the arms in their latching position, I provide two springs, 16, each of which is preferably made, from a suitable strip of spring metal and substantially, as shownin Fig. 5. I

{These springs are each fitted in place by bending it in a curved form within the flange 2 of the casing and inserting one end the shank which is arrangedwith one cornor in alinement with said shankand forming a pointed or tapering extremity for the same.

To limit the turning movement of the top cap, a bolt, 24, is fitted through an opening, 25, in the flange, 2. Two of these openings are preferably formed in said flange, one being located on one side of the slot or opening, 7, and the other on the opposite side of said slot.

A nut, 27, is fitted on the in'ier projecting when said bolt is screwed in. Owing .to' this construction openings, 25, need not be provided with an internal screw thread. The purpose of the-bolt is to form a stop wnich limits the rotation of-the cap as previously stated, and the outer portion of said bolt projects sufficiently to allow a portion of its stem to fit in one of the horizon tal recesses, 11, with the head of said bolt projecting beyond the exterior surface of .95 end of the bolt substantially as shown 1n -Fig. l, and serves to lock the bolt in .place the flange as indicated more particularly in Figs. 1 and 6.

This improved device is adapted to serve both as a latching device for holding the latch against accidentally releasing the door and also as a positive lock.

'VVhen the device is in the position shown in Figs. 1, 6 and 7, the latch can be inserted in or withdrawn from the casing by pulling or pushing upon the door, as it is held there in merely by the frictional spring tension of the arms. To positively lock or fasten the latch in the casing and thus secure the door in its closed position, the top cap is turned to bring the parts into the position shown in Fig. 8. This causes the shoulders of the notched edge, 22, to engage on opposite sides of the inner surface of the flange as shown in Fig. 8, and thus lock the latch therein. I v

It will be notedthat the interior mechanism arranged within the casing serves merelyto frictionally'engage and hold the latch in place and that to positively fasten the latch therein, it is necessary to turn an independent element, that is the top cap, which forms a separate independent and manual, adjustable and positive lock.

My improved latching and locking device is applicable to a variety f purposes,

for instance, in the present drawings I have shown it as adapted to hold a screen or other door. It may, with equal facility, be applied to a window, a freight car door, and many other like articles. Perhaps the greatest and most advantageous feature possessed by my improved device is that it forms both a latching device and a positive locking device, the two being combined in one, and the mechanism being so arranged that any one can easily change thedevice from a positive locking device to a mere spring latching position.

While I have described in the foregoing specification adaptations or embodiments of my invention, it should be understood that the structural parts thereof may be varied, changed, modified or altered or one or more may be omitted or dispensed with without departing from the spirit of my invention as fairly defined in the following claims, or as may be imparted thereto by invoking the doctrine of equivalents.

Having thus described my invention what I claim to be new and patentable is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a latch, a casing adapted to receive said latch, and a flanged-cap on the casing and adapted to positively lock the latch in said casing.

2. A device of the class described comprising a latch, a casing adapted'to'receive said latch, spring latching mechanism in said casing for said latch, and a cap on said casing for positively-locking the latch in said casing, said cap being movably mounted-on the casing. 3. In a device of the class described, a

latch, in combination with a casing havingv an opening into which the latch may be introduced, spring gripping mechanism in said casing, and a flanged cap on said casing for positively locking said latch in said casing.

l. In a device of the class described, a latch, in combination with a casing having an opening into which the latch may be introduced, spring gripping mechanism in said casing having two gripping arms and tensioning springs for said arms, and a flanged cap on said casing for positively locking said latch in said casing.

5. In a device of the class described, a latch, in combination with a casinghaving an opening into which the latch may be copies of this patent may be obtained for movably fitted introduced, spring gripping mechanism having two angularly bent gripping arms arranged in opposite position in the interior of the casing, and curved tensioning springs for said arms, and a flanged cap movably mounted on said casing for positively lockflange which is adapted to register with the opening, in the casing through which the latch is fitted. I

7. In a device of the. class described, a latch, in combination with a casing having an opening into which the latch may be introduced, spring gripping mechanism having two angularly bent gripping arms removably arranged in opposite position in the interior of the casing and curved tensioning springs for said arms, and a positive locking cap movably mounted on the casing.

8. In a device of the to a door, a casing secured to a frame and having an opening into which the latch is adapted to be inserted when the door is closed, and a positive locking cap movably carried by said casing and adapted to cooperate with said latch.

-9. In a device of the class described the having an opening into which the latch is adapted to be inserted when the door is closed, latching mechanism within the easing and a positive locking cap movably mounted on the casing; said casing and-cap class described the combination of a projecting latch attachedlatching mechanism Within the cashaving complementary telescoping flanges provided with openings for the insertion of the latch.

alarm rn'oirrsor roworrr.

Witnesses H. M. CRAIG, O'rro W RNER.

five cents each, by addressing the "commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

